What happened this day in history: October 24

1857 - The first football club was formed by a group of Cambridge University Old Boys meeting in Sheffield.

1861 - The first-ever transcontinental telegram was sent in the US, ending the ‘pony express’ service.

1901 - Mrs Ann Edison Taylor became the first person to brave the descent of Niagara Falls in a padded barrel. She did it to help pay her mortgage - and survived.

1939 - Nylon stockings went on sale for the first time.

1945 - The United Nations was founded.

1946 - A camera on board the V-2 No. 13 rocket took the first photograph of earth from outer space.

1980 - The government of Poland legalised the Solidarity trade union.

1986 - Nezar Hindawi was sentenced to 45 years in prison, the longest sentence handed down by a British court, for the attempted bombing on an El Al flight at Heathrow Airport. After the verdict, the UK broke diplomatic relations with Syria, claiming Hindawi was helped by Syrian officials.

2003 - Concorde made its last commercial flight, bringing supersonic travel to a close.